The Volunteer Center

What The Volunteer Center does

The Volunteer Center (VC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization established in 1960 in Winnetka, Illinois, and chartered in 1964 as the first volunteer action center in the state of Illinois (originally as The Volunteer Talent Pool, rebranded to its current name in 1995 to align with the Points of Light Foundation). It operates a web-based volunteer directory connecting residents and service groups in New Trier Township, the North Shore, and greater NE Metro Chicago with 110+ to 165+ nonprofit partner organizations across categories including adults, children, animals, arts, education, environment, immigration, health, and poverty/hunger. Core offerings include a searchable online Volunteer Directory, signature Days of Service events (Make A Difference Day in October, MLK Day of Service in January, 9/11 Day of Service and Remembrance), a Junior Board youth leadership program launched in 2023 reaching every school in New Trier Township, a Food Drive Calendar supporting the New Trier Township Food Pantry, and a nonprofit partner support program providing volunteer recruitment and service learning program development for schools, faith-based organizations, and civic groups.

The organization is led by Executive Director Bridget Lewis with support from one intern and a working board of directors (President Caitlin Denfeld, Vice President Sandy Carlson, Treasurer Colleen Roberts, Secretary Kathryn Martin), with the platform serving as the primary digital surface and a website (volunteercenterhelps.org) that registers over 15,000 volunteers annually. The technology stack is conventional web-based with no disclosed AI/ML capabilities, no API exposure, and no mobile app; the underlying technology is best characterized as a directory and event-coordination platform rather than a sophisticated matching engine.

Its business model is donation- and sponsorship-driven rather than transactional: services are provided free of charge to both volunteers and nonprofit partner organizations. Revenue (in the nonprofit sense of contributions) is sourced from individual donations processed via Give Lively and Zelle, a matching donor program (up to $10,000 match), tiered corporate and community sponsorships (Premier at $2,500 and Platinum at $1,000), and grants such as the 2024 Better Grant from Better Magazine / Make It Better Foundation. Premier-level commercial partners include Better.net and New Trier Township, with Community House Winnetka and the Warner Institute supporting flagship events. The organization serves four primary customer segments — individual volunteers (primary), nonprofit partner organizations (primary), service/corporate groups, and schools/youth — using a community-led and event-driven go-to-market motion supplemented by email newsletters, Meta social media, community tabling, and earned referral traffic through its nonprofit partner network.

Name

The Volunteer Center

Legal name

The Volunteer Center

Website

https://volunteercenterhelps.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1960

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Volunteer Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1960 in Winnetka, Illinois, that connects residents of New Trier Township, the North Shore, and greater NE Metro Chicago with volunteer opportunities at 160+ nonprofit partners through an online directory, signature Days of Service, and a Junior Board youth program.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Volunteer Coordination Services

NAICS

Civic and Social Organizations (81341), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Centers & Neighborhood Support Services (BPAGAEAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Youth Leadership, Civic Education & Service-Learning Nonprofits (BPAGADAI), Volunteerism, Service-Learning & Community Service (EDALAHAG)

Keywords

• Volunteer matching
• Nonprofit coordination
• Community service
• Volunteer engagement
• Civic engagement

Headquarters

HQ city

Winnetka

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: The organization accepts donations through Give Lively platform and Zelle, with matching donor programs (up to $10,000 match). Annual appeals and donor campaigns support programming including Junior Board and Make A Difference Day events.
2. Sponsorships: Corporate and community sponsorships at Premier level ($2,500) and Platinum level ($1,000) support operations and community programs.
3. Grants: Received Better Grant from Better.net based on 'You Said It' essay submitted to Better Magazine, demonstrating grant-based funding for initiatives.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Volunteer Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that operates a web-based volunteer matching platform connecting community members with more than 110 nonprofit partner organizations. It organizes signature Days of Service events, runs a Junior Board youth leadership program, maintains a Food Drive Calendar, and provides free coordination support to both individual volunteers and nonprofit organizations.

Product overview

The Volunteer Center operates as a volunteer coordination and matching platform serving the New Trier Township, North Shore, and greater NE Metro Chicago area. The organization connects residents and service groups with volunteer opportunities through a searchable Volunteer Directory of 110+ nonprofit partners. Key offerings include signature Days of Service events (Make A Difference Day, MLK Day of Service, 9/11 Day of Service), a Junior Board youth leadership program, and a Food Drive Calendar for community food collection events. The platform also supports nonprofit partners through volunteer recruitment and service learning program development. The Volunteer Center functions as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit itself, chartered in 1960, and registers over 15,000 volunteers annually.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Volunteer Directory

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Points of Light FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1960The Volunteer Center changed its name from The Volunteer Talent Pool in 1995 to align with the Points of Light Foundation and the over 400 Volunteer Centers throughout the United States. This alignment provides strategic positioning and network support for volunteer coordination efforts.
• Better.netcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerBetter.net is a Premier Community Sponsor of The Volunteer Center, demonstrating deep commitment to making a difference in the community. They awarded the organization a Better Grant based on the Executive Director's essay on volunteering benefits.
• New Trier TownshipcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNew Trier Township is a Premier Sponsor and key community partner. The Volunteer Center helps residents in New Trier Township find volunteer opportunities and supports township food pantry operations through food drives.
• Community House WinnetkamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity House Winnetka served as Site Host for MLK Day of Service 2025, providing venue and support for record-breaking volunteer event.
• Warner InstituteminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of MLK Day of Service 2025, contributing to record-breaking community service event.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Idealist: Idealist is a national nonprofit platform connecting volunteers and job seekers with mission-driven organizations. It is a broader incumbent offering volunteer matching, nonprofit job listings, and events — overlapping with The Volunteer Center's directory and Days of Service functions.
• VolunteerMatch: VolunteerMatch is the largest national online volunteer matching platform, connecting millions of volunteers with nonprofit opportunities. It is broadly comparable to The Volunteer Center's volunteer directory function but operates at national scale and competes as an alternative for both volunteers and nonprofits in the same geography.
• United Way of Metropolitan Chicago: United Way of Metro Chicago is a large regional nonprofit that mobilizes volunteers, raises corporate donations, and funds community programs. It overlaps with The Volunteer Center's donor base, corporate sponsorships, and volunteer coordination role at a much larger scale.

Emerging players

• Catchafire: Catchafire is a skills-based volunteer matching platform connecting professionals with nonprofits. It represents an emerging digital peer that competes for the corporate volunteer and skilled-volunteer segments that The Volunteer Center also serves through service groups.
• Do Something.org: Do Something is a national youth-focused volunteer and civic engagement organization. It is comparable to The Volunteer Center's Junior Board youth programming in mission, though operating at national scale via digital channels.

Direct peers

• Chicago Cares: Chicago Cares is a Chicago-based nonprofit that connects volunteers with service opportunities across the greater Chicago area. It is the most direct regional peer, operating in overlapping geography with a similar volunteer-matching and Days of Service model.
• Points of Light Foundation: Points of Light is the national umbrella organization to which The Volunteer Center is affiliated. It coordinates 400+ Volunteer Centers nationwide and provides shared branding, programming, and corporate partnerships — directly comparable as both a strategic affiliate and a peer in the volunteer-center category.

Regional players

• New Trier Township: New Trier Township is both a sponsor and a community partner that organizes volunteer food drives and supports local nonprofits. While primarily a government entity, it operates adjacent volunteer-coordination functions in the same geographic footprint as The Volunteer Center.
• Habitat for Humanity Chicago: Habitat for Humanity Chicago organizes large-scale volunteer-driven service events in the Chicago region. While focused on housing, it competes for volunteer attention, corporate sponsorships, and Days-of-Service participation in the same geography as The Volunteer Center.
• Greater Chicago Food Depository: Greater Chicago Food Depository organizes large-scale volunteer-driven food drives and packing events across the Chicago region. It is comparable to The Volunteer Center's Food Drive Calendar as a regional driver of volunteer engagement around a single cause area.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/volunteercenterhelps
• Facebookfacebook.com/VolunteerCenterHelps
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-volunteer-center-new-trier

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Volunteer Center